IB Exam Review

1. Data for the refractive index n of a type of glass and wavelength λ of the light transmitted
through the glass are shown below.

Only the uncertainties in the values of n are significant and these uncertainties are shown by
error bars.

1 .6 0 6 5

1 .6 0 6 0

1 .6 0 5 5

1 .6 0 5 0

1 .6 0 4 5
n
1 .6 0 4 0

1 .6 0 3 5

1 .6 0 3 0

1 .6 0 2 5

1 .6 0 2 0

1 .6 0 1 5
300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650
/n m

(a) State why the data do not support the hypothesis that there is a linear relationship
between refractive index and wavelength.

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(1)

(b) Draw a best-fit line for the data points. (2)

(c) The rate of change of refractive index D with wavelength is referred to as the dispersion.
At any particular value of wavelength, D is defined by

n
D = 

Use the graph to determine the value of D at a wavelength of 380 nm.

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(4)

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(d) Based on the plotted data, it is suggested that the relationship between n and λ is of the
form

B
n=A+ 
2

where A and B are constants.

1
To test this suggestion, values of n are plotted against values of  . The resulting graph
2

with the line of best fit is shown below.

1 .6 0 6 5

1 .6 0 6 0

1 .6 0 5 5

1 .6 0 5 0

1 .6 0 4 5

n 1 .6 0 4 0

1 .6 0 3 5

1 .6 0 3 0

1 .6 0 2 5

1 .6 0 2 0

1 .6 0 1 5

1 .6 0 1 0
0 0 .1 0 .2 0 .3 0 .4 0 .5 0 .6 0 .7 0 .8 0 .9 1 .0 1 .1 1 .2

1 -1 5 -2
2 / 1 0 m

(i) Use the graph to determine the value of the constant A.

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(3)

(ii) State the significance of the constant A.

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(1)

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2. This question is about power output of an outboard motor.

A small boat is powered by an outboard motor of variable power P. The graph below shows the
variation with speed v of P when the boat is carrying different loads.

5 .0

4 .5 350 kg

4 .0

3 .5

3 .0
300 kg
P / kW 2 .5

2 .0

1 .5
250 kg
1 .0
200 kg
0 .5

0 .0
0 .0 0 .5 1 .0 1 .5 2 .0 2 .5 3 .0 3 .5 4 .0
v / m s–1

The masses shown are the total mass of the boat plus passengers,
–1
(a) For the boat having a steady speed of 2.0 m s and with a total mass of 350 kg

(i) use the graph to determine the power of the engine.

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(1)

(ii) calculate the frictional (resistive) force acting on the boat.

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(2)

–1
Consider the case of the boat moving with a speed of 2.5 m s .

(b) (i) Use the axes below to construct a graph to show the variation of power P with the
total mass W.

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 200 250 300 350 400 450
W / kg
(6)

(ii) Use data from the graph that you have drawn to determine the output power of the
motor for a total mass of 330 kg.

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(1)

3. The resistive force F that acts on an object moving at speed v in a stationary fluid of constant
density is given by the expression
2
F = kv

where k is a constant.

(a) State the derived units of

(i) force F.

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(1)

(ii) speed v.

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(1)

(b) Use your answers in (a) to determine the derived units of k.

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 (1)

4. This question is about throwing a stone from a cliff.

Antonia stands at the edge of a vertical cliff and throws a stone vertically upwards.

v = 8 .0 m s –1

Sea

–1
The stone leaves Antonia’s hand with a speed v = 8.0ms .

–2
The acceleration of free fall g is 10 m s and all distance measurements are taken from the
point where the stone leaves Antonia’s hand.

(a) Ignoring air resistance calculate

(i) the maximum height reached by the stone.

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(2)

(ii) the time taken by the stone to reach its maximum height.

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(1)

The time between the stone leaving Antonia’s hand and hitting the sea is 3.0 s.

(b) Determine the height of the cliff.

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(3)

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5. This question is about the breaking distance of a car and specific heat capacity.
–1
(a) A car of mass 960 kg is free-wheeling down an incline at a constant speed of 9.0 m s .

s p e e d = 9 .0 m s -1

15

The slope makes an angle of 15° with the horizontal.

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(2)

(ii) Calculate the kinetic energy of the car.

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(1)

(b) The driver now applies the brakes and the car comes to rest in 15 m. Use your answer to
(a)(ii) to calculate the average braking force exerted on the car in coming to rest.

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(2)

(c) The same braking force is applied to each rear wheel of the car. The effective mass of
–1 –1
each brake is 5.2 kg with a specific heat capacity of 900 J kg K . Estimate the rise in
temperature of a brake as the car comes to rest. State one assumption that you make in
your estimation.

estimate:

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assumption:

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6. Linear motion

At a sports event, a skier descends a slope AB. At B there is a dip BC of width 12 m. The slope
and dip are shown in the diagram below. The vertical height of the slope is 41 m.

A
(n o t to s c a le )

s lo p e
41m

B C D
1 .8 m

d ip 12m

The graph below shows the variation with time t of the speed v down the slope of the skier.

2 5 .0

2 0 .0

1 5 .0
v / m s –1
1 0 .0

5 .0

0 .0
0 .0 1 .0 2 .0 3 .0 4 .0 5 .0 6 .0 7 .0 8 .0
t / s

The skier, of mass 72 kg, takes 8.0 s to ski, from rest, down the length AB of the slope.

(a) Use the graph to

(i) calculate the kinetic energy EK of the skier at point B.

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(2)

(ii) determine the length of the slope.

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(4)

(b) (i) Calculate the magnitude of the change EP in the gravitational potential energy of
the skier between point A and point B.

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(2)

(ii) Use your anwers to (a)(i) and (b)(i) to determine the ratio

 E P  E K  .
E P
.

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(2)

(iii) Suggest what this ratio represents.

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(1)

(c) At point B of the slope, the skier leaves the ground. He “flies” across the dip and lands on
the lower side at point D. The lower side C of the dip is 1.8 m below the upper side B.

(i) Calculate the time taken for an object to fall, from rest, through a vertical distance
of 1.8 m. Assume negligible air resistance.

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(2)

(ii) The time calculated in (c)(i) is the time of flight of the skier across the dip.
Determine the horizontal distance travelled by the skier during this time, assuming
that the skier has the constant speed at which he leaves the slope at B.

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 (2)

–
7. Two identical springs A and B each have a force constant (force per unit extension) of 2.5Ncm
1
. One end of each spring is attached to a trolley and the other ends are attached to rigid
supports, as shown.

su p p o rt tro lle y

s p rin g A s p rin g B

The springs are horizontal and, when the trolley is at rest, the extension of each spring is 3.0 cm.
The trolley is displaced 1.2 cm to the right.

su p p o rt tro lle y

s p rin g A s p rin g B

d is p la c e m e n t 1 .2 c m

(a) Calculate the magnitude of the force on the trolley due to

(i) spring A alone.

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(2)

(ii) spring B alone.

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(1)

(b) The trolley is released. Determine the initial acceleration of the trolley of mass 0.75 kg.

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(2)

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8. This question is about the kinematics of an elevator (lift).

(a) An elevator (lift) starts from rest on the ground floor and comes to rest at a higher floor. Its
motion is controlled by an electric motor. A simplified graph of the variation of the elevator’s velocity
with time is shown below.

–1
v e lo c ity / m s
0 .8 0
0 .7 0
0 .6 0
0 .5 0
0 .4 0
0 .3 0
0 .2 0
0 .1 0
0 .0 0
0 .0 1 .0 2 .0 3 .0 4 .0 5 .0 6 .0 7 .0 8 .0 9 .0 1 0 .0 1 1 .0 1 2 .0
tim e / s

The mass of the elevator is 250 kg. Use this information to calculate

(i) the acceleration of the elevator during the first 0.50 s.

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(2)

(ii) the total distance travelled by the elevator.

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(2)

(iii) the minimum work required to raise the elevator to the higher floor.

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(2)

(iv) the minimum average power required to raise the elevator to the higher floor.

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(2)

(v) the efficiency of the electric motor that lifts the elevator, given that the input power
to the motor is 5.0 kW.

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........................................................................................................................... (2)

(b) On the graph axes below, sketch a realistic variation of velocity for the elevator. Explain
your reasoning. (The simplified version is shown as a dotted line)

–1
v e lo c ity / m s
0 .8 0
0 .7 0
0 .6 0
0 .5 0
0 .4 0
0 .3 0
0 .2 0
0 .1 0
0 .0 0
0 .0 1 .0 2 .0 3 .0 4 .0 5 .0 6 .0 7 .0 8 .0 9 .0 1 0 .0 1 1 .0 1 2 .0
tim e / s
(2)

The elevator is supported by a cable. The diagram below is a free-body force diagram for when
the elevator is moving upwards during the first 0.50 s.

te n s io n

w e ig h t

(c) In the space below, draw free-body force diagrams for the elevator during the following
time intervals.

(i) 0.5 to 11.50 s (ii) 11.50 to 12.00 s

(3)

A person is standing on weighing scales in the elevator. Before the elevator rises, the reading on
the scales is W.

(d) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the reading on the scales varies during
the whole 12.00 s upward journey of the elevator. (Note that this is a sketch graph – you
do not need to add any values.)

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 re a d in g o n s c a le s

0 .0 0
0 .0 1 .0 2 .0 3 .0 4 .0 5 .0 6 .0 7 .0 8 .0 9 .0 1 0 .0 1 1 .0 1 2 .0
tim e / s
(3)

(e) The elevator now returns to the ground floor where it comes to rest. Describe and explain
the energy changes that take place during the whole up and down journey.

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(4)

11. This question is about modelling the thermal processes involved when a person is running.

When running, a person generates thermal energy but maintains approximately constant
temperature.

(a) Explain what thermal energy and temperature mean. Distinguish between the two
concepts.

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(4)

The following simple model may be used to estimate the rise in temperature of a runner
assuming no thermal energy is lost.

A closed container holds 70 kg of water, representing the mass of the runner. The water is
heated at a rate of 1200 W for 30 minutes. This represents the energy generation in the runner.

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 6
(b) (i) Show that the thermal energy generated by the heater is 2.2 × 10 J.

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(2)

(ii) Calculate the temperature rise of the water, assuming no energy losses from the
−1 −1
water. The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg K .

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(3)

(c) The temperature rise calculated in (b) would be dangerous for the runner. Outline three
mechanisms, other than evaporation, by which the container in the model would transfer
energy to its surroundings.

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(6)

A further process by which energy is lost from the runner is the evaporation of sweat.

(d) (i) Describe, in terms of molecular behaviour, why evaporation causes cooling.

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(3)

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 (ii) Percentage of generated energy lost by sweating: 50%
6 −1
Specific latent heat of vaporization of sweat: 2.26 × 10 J kg

Using the information above, and your answer to (b) (i), estimate the mass of sweat
evaporated from the runner.

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(3)

(iii) State and explain two factors that affect the rate of evaporation of sweat from the
skin of the runner.

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(4)

12. This question is about temperature and internal energy.

Two solid copper spheres, having different radii, undergo the same temperature change. A
student states that the change in internal energy of the two objects would be the same. Briefly
discuss this statement.

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13. (a) A small lump of ice (a hailstone) at 0°C falls to the Earth’s surface. When the hailstone
hits the surface, all of the kinetic energy of the hailstone is transferred to thermal energy
in the ice. Calculate the minimum speed of the hailstone so that it just melts when it hits
–1
the surface. The specific latent heat of fusion of ice is 340 kJ kg .

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(3)

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 (b) By reference to your answer in (a), suggest whether hailstones are likely to melt on
hitting the Earth’s surface.

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(2)

14. This question is about nuclear binding energy.

The table below gives the mass defect per nucleon of deuterium  H  and helium-4 
2
1
4
2 He . 

Mass defect per nucleon / u

 H
2
1 0.00120

 4
2 He  0.00760

(a) Explain the term mass defect.

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(2)

(b) Calculate the energy, in joule, that is released when two deuterium nuclei fuse to form a
helium-4 nucleus.

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(4)

15. This question is about waves and wave motion.

(a) (i) Define what is meant by the speed of a wave.

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(2)

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 (ii) Light is emitted from a candle flame. Explain why, in this situation, it is correct to
refer to the “speed of the emitted light”, rather than its velocity.

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(2)

(b) (i) Define, by reference to wave motion, what is meant by displacement.

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(2)

(ii) By reference to displacement, describe the difference between a longitudinal wave

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(3)

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